Plant Dyes

Lesson Plan #:AELP-INT0056

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan

Date: 1994

Grade Level(s): Kindergarten, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Subject(s):

Interdisciplinary
Arts
Social Studies
Science

Objectives:

Students will be able to use plant materials to create various colored dyes and will be able to use these dyes to create a painting and/or dye cloth.

Materials:

Various plant materials, books on plants, cloth or jars to hold dyes.

Activity:

This is an activity designed to have students collect plant materials to make plant dyes. The student can use these dyes to paint pictures of the things they saw while they collected the materials or to dye cloth for later use in art projects. Make use of the collecting time to teach conservation practices in collecting. The materials collected should not noticeably change the environment of the area in which they were found. In some parts of the country and in national parks, it is against the law to pick wildflowers and plants. Find out if this is the case in your area. Also investigate to avoid any poisonous plants. (Be sure to supervise carefully your students throughout this activity. Make sure no students attempt to taste any of the plants or berries they collect.)

The plant materials below may be available in your area:

Color Plant Source

Blue-violet Cherry roots

Purple Elderberries, black raspberries

Reddish-purple Pokeweed berries

Red-pink Dandelion roots, cherries, strawberries, red raspberries, cardinal flowers, sorrel roots and bark, hemlock bark

Violet Grapes

Blue Blueberries (boiled)

Dark brown Walnut husks (boiled)

Reddish brown Buckeye husks

Yellow Goldenrod (boiled), willow leaves, marsh marigolds, ash (inner bark), St. Johnswort flowers (boiled), onion skin, tulip trees' leaves, ragweed, burdock, Osage orange roots and bark (boiled)

Rose tan Birch bark, willow bark, sassafras roots

Green Plantain leaves and roots (boiled), nettle (roots, stalk, leaves), lily of the valley leaves

Yellow-orange Bloodroot (boiled)

Salmon Cherry bark

Black Walnut husks, sumac leaves

This lesson plan was downloaded from Big Sky Telegraph.
Telnet: 192.231.192.1

*Color*	*Plant Source*
Blue-violet	Cherry roots
Purple	Elderberries, black raspberries
Reddish-purple	Pokeweed berries
Red-pink	Dandelion roots, cherries, strawberries, red raspberries, cardinal flowers, sorrel roots and bark, hemlock bark
Violet	Grapes
Blue	Blueberries (boiled)
Dark brown	Walnut husks (boiled)
Reddish brown	Buckeye husks
Yellow	Goldenrod (boiled), willow leaves, marsh marigolds, ash (inner bark), St. Johnswort flowers (boiled), onion skin, tulip trees' leaves, ragweed, burdock, Osage orange roots and bark (boiled)
Rose tan	Birch bark, willow bark, sassafras roots
Green	Plantain leaves and roots (boiled), nettle (roots, stalk, leaves), lily of the valley leaves
Yellow-orange	Bloodroot (boiled)
Salmon	Cherry bark
Black	Walnut husks, sumac leaves